After seeing the swath of devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina, the New York technology consultant sprang into action, unloading $10,000 of his own money on desperately needed items.

But before he knew it, his one-man effort turned into something bigger.

“I am just an individual New Yorker doing my bit,” he told The Post yesterday as he helped load up 20 trucks full of supplies to be shipped down South. “But everyone really wants to help.”

It all started when he drove a single truckload of water, insulin, over-the-counter drugs, baby formula, diapers, bedding materials and other provisions to the Red Cross Manhattan headquarters, but was told they wouldn’t take it.

“They said they don’t take donations of goods, they only take cash donations,” Hoyos said.

Discouraged, he called the charitable group Feed the Children. Hoyos said they immediately told him they would help, and before he knew it, two semis appeared where he had set up near Lincoln Center. A few more phone calls, and donations quickly started piling up – more than he could handle.

So he rented 10 more trucks and eight more were loaned to him. Hoyos said he planned to leave for Louisiana and Mississippi early this morning.

“Before I knew it, it just sort of all happened,” Hoyos said. “People really just want to do what they can.”

Half the trucks are destined for Baton Rouge, where Louisiana emergency management officials were prepared to distribute the goods. The other half are set to go to a Feed the Children warehouse in Gulfport, Miss.

Hoyos is not alone. Nationwide, hundreds of millions of dollars in donations have poured in to help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Thousands more have volunteered to help.

For the record, the Red Cross will only accept cash donations, but encourages people to volunteer as well.